Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Nov 2023)

Impact of Easing COVID-19 Restrictions on Fear of COVID-19 and Social Support Among Chinese Students: A Longitudinal Analysis

  • Zhao Y,
  • Wang R,
  • Li H,
  • Chen C,
  • Zhou B,
  • Weng X,
  • Hua Y,
  • Jia Y,
  • Wu Y,
  • Li Y

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 4685 – 4696

Abstract

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Yang Zhao,1 Ruizhe Wang,2 Hebin Li,3 Chong Chen,4 Bowen Zhou,5 Xinying Weng,3 Yidi Hua,6 Yaqi Jia,7 Yajun Wu,8 Ying Li9 1Faculty of Law, Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2HeXie Management Research Center, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 4CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 6School of Humanities and Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 7Entrepreneurs College, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 8Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 9School of Urban Governance and Public Affairs, Suzhou City University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Li, Email [email protected]: This longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support among Chinese college students during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic: the period of strict control (time 1) and the period following a relaxation of restrictions (time 2).Methods: A total of 408 Chinese college students participated in this study. Data collection included demographic information, measures of fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support.Results: Fear of COVID-19 at time 1 showed a significant positive association with fear of COVID-19 at time 2. The relationship between support-seeking behavior at time 1 and fear of COVID-19 at time 2 was significantly mediated through a chain mediation effect of support-seeking behavior at time 1 and perceived social support at time 2.Discussion: This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscores the significance of social support in mitigating fear of COVID-19. It calls for a re-evaluation of public health policies considering their potential psychological effects and introduces new opportunities for developing psychosocial interventions.Keywords: fear of COVID-19, social support, Chinese students, COVID-19 policy, longitudinal study

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